• CARRYOVERS: None
• POST TIME: 12:20 P.M.
• NUMBER OF RACES: 8

RACE 1: 4-1-6-7

Wow, what an impressive maiden score from #4 Violet’s Charm, who showed push-button acceleration when asked and just as readily bided her time when necessary before drawing away to win by 11 in a race that’s produced a next-out winner; gets Lasix on for first in three months… #1 Irish Coco had a useful enough return to action in latest at Penn National and previously has been close at this level… #6 They Got Curry has a distance question to answer, but leading trainer Ness sees something there: this’ll be her third two-turn try in five starts…

RACE 2: 2-6-7-5

#2 Humoresque arrives off three straight runner-up finishes in allowance company, which is both an endorsement — she’s been competitive against better — and a criticism (she’s finished second in five of nine starts with just one win); her best ought to win here, and her tactical speed should put her up close early… #6 Java Tales and #7 High Heel Native both are two-time winners, the only ones in the field, and slip in as 3-year-olds; the former broke her maiden over the strip and arrives off a win at Penn, while the latter has been on the bench since winning here in October…

RACE 3: 5-4-1-2

Look for a lively pace in this starter, and possibly the beneficiary of that will be #5 Freedom Road; the Sillaman trainee, an 8-time winner in ’24, has been facing better, loves this distance, loves off tracks, and should sit the trip… #4 JD Factor is one of the horses likely to be heating things up on the front end and likewise has been facing better; he’s the favorite, but whether he can survive the pace remains to be seen… On the flip side, a horse with absolutely no early speed whatsoever is #1 Take the Pledge, who’s 2-for-2 on off tracks and might just find the pace scenario he needs…

RACING NOTES

Jockey Carol Cedeno continued a solid return to action with a 2-win day Thursday… The Michael Stidham-trained War Belle, a 12-1 outsider with Julio Hernandez in the irons, made her first main-track try a winning one in an allowance contest… Trainer Michael Simone won a pair of races…

RACE 4: 4-2-8-3

We’d be surprised if you got the morning line on #4 The Best Distance, who’s been consistently winning at similar levels at Tampa even through multiple trainer changes – but if you do, grab it… Thinking the distances of his last two haven’t done #2 Montauk Point any favors after he was sent 1 3/4 miles last out and even nine furlongs two back; the cutback could do a world of good today… #8 Paynter’s Prodigy throttled lesser several races ago and has a couple of good recent tries against better…

RACE 5: 4-2-7-3

#4 Guard of Honour has run well enough in limited main-track opportunities, including three back when a trying third at a similar level in his first start in three months; has some tactical speed… #2 Damage makes his third start after being away for a year and exits a good enough showing at PEN in a race that’s produced a next-out winner… Sophomore #7 Magic Mikey tries his elders for the first time…

RACE 6: 2-6-3-1

Possibly a fool’s errand, but it sure feels like #2 Styner has a shot to steal this one on the front end: he’s by far the controlling speed, and while his recent form is a bit in-and-out, he’s also faced better in a couple of recent starts; demand value… Rider Gil was aboard #3 and #6 in latest, both live contenders today, and lands on #6 Good as He Gets; this one makes his third start off the bench and ran pretty well in latest on the rise into allowance company… #3 Striking Sparks may get first run on Styner if he comes back to the field; owns the best recent Beyer figs…

RACE 7: 7-6-4-2

Toss the two admittedly dismal stakes tries, and all #7 Higher Sense has done of late is run good races, easily breaking his maiden at Laurel and then running second in an allowance to the formful Pont Aven; jockey-trainer combo hits at a 30% clip with a hugely positive ROI… #6 Reckless caught a tough group in his latest at CNL, including winner Code Review, a $575k son of Uncle Mo now 2-for-2, and runner-up I Did I Did, who then ran fourth in the G3 Lexington… #4 Very Volatile makes his first start of the year for trainer Gary Capuano; he broke his maiden two back in a race that produced three next-out winners, and he was well bet in the Heft, where things obviously went awry; gets Lasix on for a barn that can win off the bench…

RACE 8: 1-5-6-2

Top choice #1 Rickie’s Kin drops out of special weight company at Tampa, where he ran a couple of pretty OK tries; when last seen at this level, he ran third at Parx with a 57 Beyer fig that would compete here in his first try with Lasix…#5 Farooq is a half to $600k earner Galerio and is part of a family that tends to improve with age; makes his first start of the season here and wouldn’t be shocked if he needed one… #6 Hard Freeze makes his first start since September but has thrown down some zippy works in preparation and gets Chuan in the irons and Lasix on…